Gift of Flight
by Higuchimon
Summary: [au: wings; #1 in Take To The Skies] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.
1. Grounded

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 1: Grounded  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,507||story: 1,507  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary: **[1/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

A net. Daisuke couldn't quite believe this was happening to him, but here it was all the same, wrapped around him tightly enough so he couldn't get out of it. He could wriggle a lot, and he did, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get anywhere.

"Guys! V-mon!" He struggled harder, calling for any kind of help. He could see his D-3 and D-Terminal down on the ground, way out of reach, and struggled harder to get to them. All that happened was that the hanging net bounced a little.

He groaned, letting his head sag down a little, and yanked a few more times at the net, more out of frustration than anything else. Why did this have to happen? He'd just come to the Digital World to let his wings spread a little and he ended up in a _net_.

There were a lot of people who could be behind this. Any number of Digimon might want to give a chance at catching him, and they didn't all work for the Kaiser. And, of course, the Digimon Kaiser himself was the top on his personal list. Ever since Ken found out about his 'extra features', the Kaiser had made more and more personal appearances on their battlefields, and most of his attention fastened on Daisuke.

_Has he got a thing for wings?_ He'd likely not be the first person, either. That was why he kept his folded and out of sight when he was on Earth. It wasn't the most enjoyable thing to do; his wings hurt if he had them wrapped up too long. But it made certain people didn't recognize him for being one of the rare few who had wings.

No one knew why some people had them and others didn't. Some families were a little more prone to it than others. That was what happened with his, or so his mother told him. Wings turned up in her family at least once per generation, but she'd missed it, and so had his aunt and uncle. When Jun didn't have them, she'd wondered if perhaps any other children would as well.

Then Daisuke came along, with the telltale marks on his shoulders at birth that signified wings to come.

He'd flown before he could walk. That wasn't unusual for fliers, really. When you could take to the skies, who wanted to stay on the ground?

"Well, what do we have here?" Of _course_. He shouldn't have even considered any other options. There the Kaiser stood on top of one of his AirDramon, arms folded over his chest, and with the most self-satisfied, smug look on his face, that made Daisuke want to punch it off of him so much.

"Let me out of here, Ken!" Daisuke seized the net and shook it as hard as he could. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm taking my new pet home with me," Ken replied without missing a beat, staring at Daisuke as if he'd never seen such a sight in his life. If Daisuke had been anywhere but in a net, he would've found a way to get out of there, fast.

As it was, he redoubled his glaring at Ken. "I am not a pet. I'm a _person_!" If this was about his wings, then Ken was going to get a severe piece of his mind. Two of them, if he had the chance.

"I think you might want to double check that. You're the one who is a prisoner, and my prisoner at that." Ken moved a fraction closer, his attention not having moved off of Daisuke for a moment. "Which means I decide what you are. And I say that you're my new pet."

"Well, you know, I say that I'm going to punch you in the face. What do you think about that?" Daisuke couldn't move his arms to fold over his own chest but he could still glare, and he did that very well at the moment.

Ken's smile sent chills down Daisuke's spine. "Then I think you're going to have to learn who your master is, and I think it's about time I taught you."

Daisuke muttered a few words under his breath that would've made his mother give him a stern look and possibly denied him dessert. "This is about my wings, isn't it?" He'd had a teacher like that a couple of years back, who hadn't wanted to have one of the Fliers in his class.

"They're a lovely accessory to what I want, but I would want you even without them." Ken's attention flicked behind Daisuke. "Cut him down."

"What the -" Daisuke didn't have a chance to see who was back there before the net began to fall. It didn't fall far before he landed on the AirDramon's head, a breath away from the Kaiser's boots.

"Let's go." Ken stomped once on the AirDramon's head, and the creature began to turn. A soft voice spoke up before they got very far.

"What about his D-3, master?" Wormmon wanted to know, poking his pod down to the ground. Daisuke agreed with that; the others could track him by it, and get him out of this!

Ken looked down at it, a thoughtful tilt to his head. "Have someone take it to area thirty-seven delta. Let the Chosen hunt all over there for him."

Daisuke's heart sank at once. He wanted to struggle more, maybe get the net to roll over the side. If he could get it open he would; he'd be able to fly to safety from there. But so long as the net remained wrapped around him this tightly, then he didn't stand a chance of getting out of there in one piece.

Ken bent over him, a very satisfied smile on his lips. "Don't worry, Daisuke. Before long, the very idea of escaping me won't even occur to you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Daisuke grumped. "Because it doesn't. Not at all."

Ken's hand rested on his head, toying a bit with his thick reddish brown hair. "It should. And it will, eventually. Just be patient."

"Not going to be." Being patient wasn't in his vocabulary. He'd read the definition once and decided it really wasn't him. Action suited him so much better and wasn't anywhere nearly as boring.

Daisuke couldn't get himself out of the net, but he did wriggle just enough away so that his head didn't rest under Ken's hand anymore. Ken would put it back, he knew it, as soon as he wanted to. For now, he would do what he could to make certain that Ken knew he wasn't going to just roll over and be Ken's faithful little dog, no matter what happened. He'd find a way to get out of there and back to his friends, and absolutely nothing Ken could do to him would ever change that.

* * *

Ken's heart beat a little faster as they raced along toward home. He watched Daisuke carefully; he'd brought along other flying Digimon and positioned them around his personal AirDramon, wanting to make certain that Daisuke didn't do anything incredibly stupid like try to throw himself off in a bid for freedom.

So far he'd shown that much sense, but Ken didn't expect it to last. He would have to keep a sharp eye on his new prize, at least until Daisuke understood that this was all for the best. Given how stubborn he was, that would take some time. But Ken had time. Ken had all the time in the world.

It was unfortunate that Rings and Spirals wouldn't work on humans, not even Fliers. He'd tested it once before, though he doubted Daisuke would remember it. That very first time they'd crossed paths, on Daisuke's second trip to the Digital World. He'd tested a Ring that day, and it hadn't done anything at all.

A pity. It would've made this so much simpler to deal with. On the other hand, it meant that once he'd finished properly training Daisuke, there wouldn't be anything that the Chosen could do to 'fix' him.

As if he would need fixing. Ken had made up his mind moments after seeing Daisuke fly for the first time. Daisuke belonged to him. It was only a matter of time.

That time had come. Setting up the net had been simplicity itself. He'd set many of them in places he knew Daisuke liked to fly, and then he'd simply waited for the boy to spread his wings.

He knew the Chosen would try to find him. Let them search; he'd made certain that thirty-seven delta had some of his most powerful, dangerous, and bloodthirsty Digimon waiting there. If they got out in one piece it would be a miracle, and Daisuke wasn't going to be around to provide those miracles.

Satisfied that everything was going just the way he had planned, Ken reached once more for Daisuke's hair, and anticipated the events to come.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chains

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 2: Chains  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,574||story: 3,081  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary:** [2/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

Daisuke's mind raced, forming and discarding plans in the blink of an eye. Escape would be easy. He could just fly out of there. He'd never raced an AirDramon before, but they couldn't be as fast as Pegasumon or Nefertimon, could they?

Well, he'd never actually won against them either, but that only meant his chances of escape were better, didn't it? He was willing to run the chance and find out. What could Ken do to him that was worse than what he already had planned?

Probably quite a lot, but he didn't want to think about that. He preferred thinking about how to get out of there and making sure he never got close to another net as long as he lived. Daisuke did not _like_ not being able to move around. He wouldn't say he was scared of tight places. What he was scared of was not being able to move the way he wanted to.

And that was, of course, exactly what Ken took from him and looked on keeping from him for the foreseeable future. Jerk.

His eyes darted back and forth, trying to find some way to work through this. He needed to get out of the net, first. That was it. Once out, he'd be gone. Unfortunately, the net remained as tight as it had when it first wrapped around him, and Ken didn't give him a single moment to himself to even attempt to wiggle out.

To make matters worse, they arrived at a huge looming, floating _thing_ that made his heart sink even more just to look at.

"What is _that_?" He had an idea. He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to be _very_ wrong.

"Home sweet home." Ken said, reaching down to drag Daisuke up by the net. "Don't expect to ever leave here without my permission. I can't have you telling your friends all about where I live, now can I?"

"I don't see why not. Don't you want company?" Daisuke did his best to snark, twitching away from how close Ken's fingers were to him. He'd had nightmares that looked something like this. Ken seemed hell-bent on turning them into a mind-shattering reality.

"Not especially. You're the only other human here and that's all that I want."

Ken did not seem inclined toward further conversation as the AirDramon swept into a nearly hidden entryway and landed in what was some kind of bay for departures and arrivals. Other Digimon, all neatly Ringed and Spiralled, hurried up to take the creature away, presumably for some kind of afterflight care and feeding. Daisuke hoped, anyway. He'd never thought too much about what Ken did to the Digimon who worked for him, aside from freeing them as often as he could.

He found himself dragged through the fortress's myriad of corridors and hallways, up a few stairs and down one or two more. His head spun before five minutes passed.

"How don't you get lost here?" he demanded, the very tips of his wings twitching in annoyance. Ken shrugged.

"Why should I?"

Sometimes Daisuke found himself tempted to make a list of everything Ken said that annoyed him. Then he realized that _everything_ Ken said annoyed him. No list necessary.

Of all the places he expected Ken to take him – which ranged from some sort of mad scientist's lab to a dungeon – he didn't expect to see a wide, plushly made up bed in one corner in the brightly lit room Ken dragged him to. For a few seconds, his mind utterly short circuited and he didn't have a single thing to say.

Ken could see where his eyes went, though, and smirked. "Yes, we are in my bedroom. And what makes you think you're going to get to use that bed?"

For the rest of his life, Daisuke never knew exactly how he felt about that statement. For the rest of his life, he did everything he could not to actually think about it. It didn't work as well as he would've hoped, but he tried.

Instead of the bed, Ken pulled him over to where a long pole stood, rising up to brush the ceiling. Dropping Daisuke there, he stepped over to what looked like a cupboard on the wall. Daisuke lifted his head, trying to see what Ken kept there, more out of curiosity and a hope to keep his mind distracted from what was going on than anything else. There wasn't much that he could see, though that was at least in part because he was on the floor and still couldn't move properly thanks to the net.

Ken did take something out of there and brought it over to him. When Daisuke saw what it was, his mouth dried up at once and he shook his head fiercely.

"Oh, no. You are not putting that on me!" The tips of his wings, the only part of him that could move at all, fluttered in his fury. Ken didn't even seem to notice. Instead, he knelt down beside Daisuke, tipped his head back with one hand, and snapped the collar around his neck with the other, all without noticing the other's protests. Or at least not caring about them if he did notice.

A collar! He'd put a _collar_ on him! A tiny part of Daisuke's furiously screeching mind said that it was better this than one of those Evil Rings or Spirals. The rest of his mind was too busy screaming at this mark of Ken's ownership of him.

"There. I had that made especially for you. It goes well with your wings, I think," Ken said, staring down at him with possessive pride. Daisuke thrashed even harder, beating his feet in a tattoo against the floor. "Now you're just being childish. Do you always react like this when someone gives you something?"

"When they're trying to make a _pet_ out of me, yes!" Daisuke snarled. Just because he was a Flier didn't make him less than human!

Ken ignored him again, this time to start to slit open the net. Daisuke's mind snapped into focus at once. He could do it! He could get away now! He just needed to get out of this room and find a window or a door that led outside. Ken was going to regret making this mistake!

Before he cut the net away entirely, Ken stopped and picked up a length of chain that Daisuke now saw was attached to the pole. His eyes widened as Ken fastened it to the back of the collar and tugged on it before nodding in satisfaction, then going back to pulling the net off Daisuke.

"That will keep you from running away," Ken said. He glanced down at Daisuke, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Did you think I'd really just let you leave? After going to all this trouble to take you in the first place? No, Daisuke. You're going to stay with me forever. And if you're very good, I might take you out now and then. I know you need to fly. I want you to be in good health."

He ran one hand over Daisuke's wings, his eyes softening a fraction. Daisuke squirmed and wriggled, but it was all but impossible to get away from that touch. It felt... oddly good. Gentle. He didn't associate Ken with being gentle and he didn't want to. It shook him up to even think about.

"I'd be in good health if you let me go!" He snapped at last, not wanting to let Ken think that he enjoyed the contact in any way. Wings were sensitive, Daisuke's in particular. Ken couldn't know that. Daisuke didn't want him to know that.

Ken's hand tightened on the top of Daisuke's left wing for a moment. Daisuke ground his teeth, now not wanting to give away that it hurt.

"You'd better forget about ever leaving me, because I _won't allow it_. I know I'm going to have to train you, but the sooner you accept your new home, the better."

The Kaiser stood up and looked down at Daisuke with even more possessive pride than before. Daisuke turned away and started pulling at the chain, hoping he could find a way to get it off of him. Ken couldn't be that perfect, could he? He couldn't lock off every way of escaping?

"Just so you know, the doors and windows around here only open for me or the Digimon who are wearing Rings and Spirals. None of them will open for you. So even if you could get the collar off, you couldn't leave the room." Ken bent down to whisper in Daisuke's ear. "And I would be very, very angry with you if you did that anyway."

Part of Daisuke wanted that, because an angry Ken was someone that he could fight. The rest of him quailed at the very thought.

Ken ran a hand over Daisuke's head, and the Flier realized he was being _petted_. He jerked himself away. Ken chuckled for a moment before he turned toward the door.

"You get some rest. You've had a hard day and it's only going to get worse. I'll be back later with your dinner." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder. "You should know, I feel a pet should beg for their food. You might want to think about that."

And then he left.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Start

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 3: Start  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,529||story: 4,610  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary:** [3/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

Logic said that Daisuke couldn't break the chain that Ken used to fasten him to that pole. Logic said he couldn't break the collar off either, nor escape from the room; Ken had made it plain that the doors and windows wouldn't open for him. Logic said Daisuke should simply wait and find another way to get out, maybe by trying to talk Wormmon into helping him.

Daisuke and logic had never gotten along well together, so he'd spent the intervening hours between the time Ken left and when he returned, Wormmon pulling a wheeled cart behind him, pulling at the chain and collar until thin streaks of blood ran down from his fingers and his head ached from how hard he'd banged it on the pole in an attempt to do _anything_.

Ken stared down at him, a frown marring his thin lips. "You are _very_ stubborn, Daisuke. I told you that you can't leave and you should get used to that fact. And what do I find you doing? Hurting yourself trying to leave!"

"What did you think? That I'd just sit here and do nothing?" Daisuke glared back at him, ignoring the pain in his hands and head. His wings ached as well, given how he'd struggled all this time. He needed to get out and spread them properly. He'd never gone more than a day or so without getting at least a little flying in, and while he'd done that today, which had led to him being here in the first place, _being_ in here just made him feel as if the walls were closing in on him.

Ken shook his head, clearly displeased, and turned toward Wormmon. "Bring the first aid kit."

Daisuke slumped the tiniest bit, breathing in hard. He didn't want Ken's help. He wanted Ken to let him go. "I want out of here."

"You'll be allowed to roam more freely once I know that you're going to come back," Ken replied sternly. He tapped the collar around Daisuke's neck. "Once you learn who you belong to, I'll take that off of you. I'll have a better one then anyway."

Daisuke snapped at Ken's finger, but the Kaiser pulled it away before he could make contact. His hand flew too swiftly for Daisuke's eyes to track, and a stunning blow to the side of his face sent the Flier's head spinning.

"I think this is your first lesson. You don't try to attack me. At all. Under any circumstances." Ken's voice grated as cold and harsh as stone. "I _own_ you now, Daisuke. You need to accept that. There is nothing that you can do to change it. I can make life very pleasant for you." His hand landed firmly in Daisuke's hair, jerking his head up so that cinnamon brown eyes met sharp violet ones. "Or I can make your life a living hell. I would _prefer_ to make it pleasant. We can both enjoy ourselves if it is. But if you choose the hard way, the only one who will enjoy himself in the end is _me_."

Daisuke was the Child of Courage. He knew how to be brave in almost any circumstances. He wanted, more than anything, to spit in Ken's face, find the strength to shatter the chains, and jump out the nearest open window.

Courage is not always fighting back no matter the odds, though that was the kind of courage that he knew best, the kind that flowed through his veins along with his blood. A small reasonable voice spoke in the very depths of his heart.

_Let him think he's winning. Let him think you're listening to him. He said he'd take it off. So let him think you know 'your place' and then leave. And never come back._

It was not the kind of courage he was used to. But it was the only kind he could use in this place where Ken had all the power and all he had was what he could manage to steal. His cheek throbbed. Ken's eyes spoke only of possession and demands.

"Do you understand me, Daisuke?" Ken bit off each word with silken fury. "And I would be very careful of how I phrased my answer if I were you."

Daisuke swallowed. He hated that he couldn't do what he wanted, not just to get out of there at all, but in how he really wanted to answer Ken.

He bit back the words that came first to his lips, telling Ken where he could stuff his answers and his 'training'. He _knew_ what Ken wanted him to say, what he wanted Daisuke to call him, and Daisuke could not bring himself to do it. He would not do it.

Instead, he managed only to jerk his head in a vague sort of nod. He had to hope that Ken would accept that.

The Kaiser's lips thinned into a sharp smile, but not one that reassured Daisuke on any level. "You'll say it, Daisuke. You won't be able to stop yourself." He sat back, reaching behind himself as Wormmon returned with another cart, this time with a small selection of bandages and other items Daisuke couldn't see very well from where he was.

Ken pulled Daisuke's hand over to him, carefully cleaning and bandaging the mess that Daisuke had made of his fingers. It wasn't as bad as it felt, and the bandages did help to ease it. But Daisuke hated that Ken did it in the first place. It didn't make him like Ken any more, either.

_If it wasn't for him, this wouldn't have happened._ He wasn't going to let himself forget that. This was all Ken's fault and he wouldn't let the Kaiser convince him otherwise.

"I know you haven't given up wanting to escape," Ken said as he pulled the first cart over. An excellent meal for two rested there, and Daisuke's stomach rumbled quite fiercely at it. He, like most Fliers, needed to eat a lot. Flying took a lot of energy, and they tended to burn through their food faster than non-Fliers did. "You won't be easy to tame." Ken's smile sent jitters all through Daisuke, almost as unnerving as the way his stomach ached to have some of that food in it. "But I haven't yet failed at gaining something that I want. Or someone."

Daisuke's shoulders tensed. "You didn't get to keep MetalGreymon." As if he were going to forget _that_.

Ken only smiled more, and Daisuke wished that he'd stop. It made everything that much worse. "I didn't want to keep him nearly as much as I want to keep you. And I learned a great deal from that."

"Like how to fail? Again?" Daisuke wondered if he'd ever learn to keep his mouth shut. Ken didn't seem to care, though, not as he sorted out food onto the two plates.

"Now, remember. I said that I expect a _pet_ to beg for his food." Ken turned a very stern look on him. "And you're not getting anything until you beg me _properly_. Not a morsel. Not a drop."

Ken could not mean that. Daisuke wasn't going to beg him, and Ken wouldn't let him starve. He wanted to keep him, right? So he'd have to eat. Ken was just trying to humiliate him. This couldn't possibly work.

Despite all of his thoughts earlier about playing along, Daisuke raised his head and set his jaw. "I'm not _that_ hungry." His stomach begged to differ, and would've happily begged Ken for a bit of rice. Daisuke ignored his stomach.

"Perhaps not now. But you will be." Ken set to his own dinner, very clearly enjoying it. Daisuke turned his head and stared at the ceiling in stubborn determination.

_If I just gave in, he wouldn't believe it anyway,_ he told himself. _He said I was stubborn._ It pained him to think that his enemy knew him well enough to play him like that. No. Ken had to have made mistakes. He was not going to win this. Daisuke wouldn't let him.

The sound and smell of the food teased at him. Ken took his time savoring every bite of his dinner. Daisuke had no idea if he did this on a regular basis or not. But hearing him doing it now just made his stomach clench that much harder.

"Are you certain you don't want any, Daisuke?" Ken asked, one hand resting suddenly on Daisuke's shoulder. "Because if you don't, I think I'll have yours. I've put in quite a day today, after all."

Daisuke stiffened at the touch, especially as it softened and moved upward, Ken rubbing one slender hand through Daisuke's hair, as if he hadn't jerked him around by it less than half an hour earlier. He kept his voice as tight and distant as he could manage it.

"No. I'm fine."

Again his stomach protested. He couldn't move as far from Ken's hand as he wanted, not with the chain keeping him bound to the pole, but he moved anyway. Ken chuckled.

"We'll see if you say the same thing in the morning."

**To Be Continued**


	4. Cracks

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 4: Cracks  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,582||story: 6,192  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary:** [4/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

Daisuke's stomach cramped again and he did what he could to swallow, hoping it would help his dry throat. It didn't. He shifted on the uncomfortable floor, trying to find any position that would be remotely comfortable. None of them were.

He peered through the darkness of the room to try to see what Ken was up to. It annoyed him more than he could imagine when all he could see was the Kaiser peacefully sleeping in his bed.

_You'd think he didn't have a care in the world!_ Daisuke found himself incredibly tempted to make enough noise to wake his captor up. What stopped him was what sat on Ken's nightstand. He wasn't able to see it clearly, but Ken had shown it to him before going to sleep, and his words rang clear in Daisuke's memory.

"I don't want to muzzle you, but if you start getting cranky and noisy because you refused to eat, then I will. I have a great deal that I have to do, and I need my rest." Ken displayed the thick gag, complete with straps to buckle and lock behind Daisuke's head if need be. "So keep yourself quiet."

He hated having to listen to Ken under any circumstances. It went against every grain that he had.

What was worse was that he suspected he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer on the matter of food. Fliers needed a lot to keep themselves going, and he hadn't had a bite since lunch. That had to have been twelve hours earlier. Maybe even thirteen or fourteen. He wasn't certain of what time it was now, only that he would've given a lot to have access to a refrigerator stocked with everything.

He fidgeted some more. He didn't know where Wormmon was, but maybe if the little bug turned up, he could be persuaded to bring a snack. That would definitely help Daisuke fend off the Kaiser's insistence on him begging before eating.

Unfortunately, wherever Wormmon was, he didn't approach the Kaiser's bedroom until the first light of morning began to filter in. By then, Daisuke had fallen into a restless half-doze, which he jerked out of the second Ken's feet hit the floor.

"Good morning, pet," the Kaiser said, smiling at him. The smile widened when Daisuke's stomach answered for him, gurgling in demand for food. "Is there anything that you'd like to say to me?"

Daisuke tensed and began to turn his head away. He would not do it. He would not give in. He would _not_.

The door swung open and Wormmon pulled a cart into the room by a long cord, one heaped high with breakfast food, as the one the night before had dinner makings. The scent teased at Daisuke as much as it had then, and he was so much hungrier now.

Ken moved over to his table and settled down to eat. Daisuke could see it all, and worse, smell it all.

_I hate this. I absolutely hate this._ Ken was a monster in every sense of the word short of having fangs, claws, and horns. _I need to get out of here._ That clicked to something in his mind. He needed to make Ken think he was weakening. And he needed to eat. So, he'd do what Ken wanted in order to get food. But it would be a game. An act. Just something so when the time came, he could fly away and not look back at all.

Yeah. He could do this. He didn't have to like it. And Jun had said he couldn't act his way out of a wet paper back. He'd show her.

He had to time it right. He refused to look at the food, except in quick, jerky glances. If he knew Ken at all...

"Are you certain you don't want breakfast? You do sound very hungry over there."

Daisuke ground his teeth. That wasn't an act at all. Ken chuckled.

"You know what to say if you want it."

_Act. Act. Act._ "I...would like something to eat..." He could almost _taste_ Ken's smirking triumph. Not looking at him made this a little easier. Not much, but just enough. "Please." He ground the last word out as if it tasted foul on his tongue. It did. "Master."

Ken chuckled. "Say that last word again. Nice and loud and clear."

_Monster. Absolute monster._ "Master." It stuck in his throat even worse this time. But he creaked it out nevertheless. "Please, may I have some breakfast, master?"

"Come here," Ken ordered. The chain was long enough for him to reach where Ken sat and he shuffled over there, the tips of his wings dragging on the floor now. At Ken's gesture, he started to sit, then flinched at Ken's disapproving frown. "You should know better than that, _pet_."

Oh. Oh, he knew. Part of him groaned even more, and it was hard to remember that he wanted to eat and this was the only way he could get it. It simply grated against every part of himself.

But regardless, he arranged himself so that he knelt at Ken's feet. The Kaiser tilted his head up with one finger and smiled down at him, a horrible expression that almost curdled Daisuke's stomach.

"Very good. Just remember to do this at every meal, and you'll be fine. And whenever else I tell you, of course."

Daisuke's eyes flicked away. He couldn't look Ken in the face right now. The Kaiser laughed before he pressed bits of broiled fish to Daisuke's lips. His hunger overwhelmed him at that point and he swallowed everything Ken set before him eagerly, following it up with sips of green tea. He hardly noticed how much he was eating before Ken stopped.

"That's all for now." Ken meant that literally; the plates were all scraped absolutely clean of everything even remotely edible. Daisuke licked his lips; he hadn't realized how hungry he was.

He thought at first Ken would leave him in the room while he went off to build Towers or whatever. Instead, Ken guided him to a bathroom, keeping a firm grip on the leash, and they both cleaned up.

"Are we going somewhere?" Daisuke found the voice to ask, hoping the answer was yes. He felt a lot better already after getting some food inside of him, and the hope for a chance for escape burned ever brighter.

"No. You haven't yet learned enough to be allowed outside without me, and I have other matters to attend to today. But you can stay with me," Ken said, pulling Daisuke closer and running his fingers through Daisuke's hair. Daisuke reacted on raw instinct and shoved himself away, stumbling some as Ken jerked the leash and brought him up short. "Now, now, _pet_. I'd rather not have to punish you. You're doing so well this morning after all."

Daisuke's shoulders ached with how tense he was. He ached to get out so much. He needed the fresh air, he needed to fly, he needed just to get away from Ken and never, ever look back. And yet Ken still restrained him, refused to let him go, and he still could not guess why. The whole 'pet' thing just didn't seem right to him. It made no sense.

He had no chance to ask questions as Ken marched down one metallic hallway after another, Daisuke following along too quickly to form words. He wasn't certain if what he'd said would've made any sense even if he had. He was still too angry over everything.

"If you're good, I have a room you'll like. You can stretch your wings and fly there. I use it for training my airborne troops," Ken told him as he settled down in a chair in front of several monitors, all of which turned on with a single glance from him. "But you'll have to not disturb me while I'm working today."

Daisuke managed a small jerk of his head that would have to do for a nod. Ken appeared to accept it, turning his full attention to the screens. Daisuke watched as well, catching his breath a heartbeat later when he saw V-mon wandering around calling for him. _V-mon._

"What a nuisance," Ken muttered. "I suppose I'll have to have someone take care of him. Should I just destroy him or have him put to a better use? I would need a Spiral for that." He didn't seem to be talking to Daisuke, but that didn't stop Daisuke from whirling around on him.

"Don't! Don't do that to him!" His heart raced at the very thought of V-mon as one of the Kaiser's red-eyed slaves. It was bad enough he was caught up in this trap. He didn't want it to happen to his partner as well.

Ken raised one eyebrow, turning his attention to Daisuke. "Why shouldn't I? He's a Digimon. He's in my realm. I can do whatever I want to him. Did you forget that I am the Digimon Kaiser, _pet_?"

Daisuke flinched visibly. "No." His mind raced, then he dropped down to his knees in front of Ken. For this, he would do anything, and dignity and restraint be damned. "Please, master. Leave V-mon alone. I'll...I'll do whatever you want."

"But you already will do whatever I want, Daisuke." Ken chuckled. "But do keep begging. I like to hear it. And maybe, if you beg enough, I'll grant your request."

**To Be Continued**


	5. Weakening

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 5: Weakening  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,571||story: 7,763  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary:** [5/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

"Master" fell easily from Daisuke's lips now. It didn't taste any better and his heart still choked on it, but he could say it now without feeling as if he'd torn a part of himself out. He already had, what more did one little extra piece matter?

The word had spilled from him repeatedly while he knelt at Ken's feet, the tips of his wings twitching back and forth, begging over and over for V-mon to be spared. He only realized that Ken hadn't made a move to attack his partner at all after nearly an hour into it.

Ken didn't want V-mon. Ken didn't care about V-mon. He cared about Daisuke and what he could wrench from him. And he'd wrenched so much already.

His voice, dry and broken, finally stuttered to a halt and he trembled in a seething mixture of hate and fear. He didn't know which was directed at who, at Ken or at himself, and a tiny part of him no longer cared. What did it matter, when Ken ruled him so thoroughly after less than a full day?

Ken's hand rested on his head and Daisuke found he was too tired, too worn out to even flinch from it. He wanted to. He held that close to his heart. He hadn't lost that much. He didn't welcome Ken's touch at all. He just didn't have it in him to move away right now. But he would later. He swore that to himself.

"You beg very well, Daisuke. I'm quite pleased with you."

Daisuke decided the hate was for Ken. It didn't matter, but he made the decision anyway.

"Therefore, unless he makes an attack on me, or attempts to make away with you, I will spare your _former_ partner the honor of one of my Spirals."

Daisuke tensed. Those were conditions that he had no control over. Nothing he could do would alter them, except for... for not going if V-mon turned up.

Ken's hand slipped down to cup Daisuke's chin and tilt his head up. Still hidden behind his glasses, Ken's eyes bored into him regardless. "Now, what do you say when someone grants you such a boon, _pet_?"

Daisuke swallowed once, twice. He needed something to drink so very much, but he managed to speak anyway, his voice scratchy. "Thank you, master."

Again Ken petted him, releasing his chin to do so. "You're learning so very fast. I knew that you would once you were put into the proper environment."

Yes, the hate was very clearly for Ken. Impotent and useless, but it burned nevertheless. Daisuke took a slow breath, choked slightly on a rough cough. "Master, may I have something to drink?" He had to ask. He had to be polite or Ken would only delay granting his needs.

He had learned. He could tell it in himself already. And he _hated it_.

Ken caressed the side of Daisuke's cheek. "So polite. As my pet should be." He lifted his head up a little. "Wormmon. Bring my pet something to drink."

Daisuke pressed his lips together and turned his head away a little. He hoped Ken would pass it off as him just needing the water, as opposed to being defiant. Not that he didn't _want_ to be defiant. It was just too exhausting right now.

_He'd better not expect me to drink it out a dish or something._ He could sort of tolerate the 'pet' thing as long as Ken didn't treat him like an animal. Having wings didn't make him less of a human, no more than having their own wings made Yamato or Iori less than human.

No, Ken didn't want him to drink from a dish. It was far more humiliating than that, and Daisuke realized that he should've guessed it already, after breakfast.

Ken accepted the goblet of water that Wormmon brought and turned his attention toward Daisuke. "You wanted this, pet?"

Daisuke stifled the words that wanted to rise to his lips and satisfied himself with an abrupt nod. Ken was not satisfied with that, of course, and waited, one eyebrow cocked expectantly. Daisuke held back a growl of annoyance.

"Yes, master. May I have some water, please?" He hated how he sounded. He hated how the words came to him without having to fight that hard anymore. He hated Ken _so much_.

Ken smiled in pleasure. "Very good boy." He caught the back of Daisuke's head, held it firmly, and raised the goblet to Daisuke's lips. Daisuke drank quickly; it tasted just like any other Digital World water did, clear and cold and delicious. At least that probably meant Ken hadn't added anything to it. He had to trust that much.

After quenching his thirst, Daisuke sank down beside Ken's chair and tugged one wing around to toy with one of his feathers. He could hear Ken working, the click of the keyboard going at a measured pace, but he tried not to pay much attention. There wasn't anything he could do about it, and seeing his friends would've hurt far too much. They were going to look for him. He didn't doubt it. They'd find his D-3 and they'd beat whatever Digimon Ken had in that section, wherever it was, and then...

Then they might think he'd been hurt. They wouldn't just think that he'd died, would they?

He didn't expect them to find Ken's fortress. From what he'd seen from the outside, it was mobile, which meant that even if they found where it had been, it wouldn't be there. Ken could and did hide too well for that. Looking for him wasn't the problem. He _knew_ that they would. He knew it in his bones and in his heart.

It was finding him that he couldn't be certain about, and if they did, what would they think of what they found? What would he be when he was found?

Himself, he decided, setting his jaw firmly. Ken could bend him, could splinter and crack him, but would not _break_ him. He was doing this just to get along until he could be free, just as he'd thought before. Nothing had changed since then. Nothing he couldn't fix later.

With nothing else to do, Daisuke did eventually look up at the screens Ken worked at, hoping to see something interesting there. All he could see were various scenes in the Digital World, mostly of Ken's slaves building Towers or guarding them or attacking other Digimon. One such battle scene caught his attention, though, and he caught his breath a moment later.

Because the Digimon that Ken's slaves fought were Pegasumon, Nefertimon, Holsmon, and Digmon.

Daisuke watched, only vaguely aware that Ken's gaze turned down toward him. He murmured praise and encouragement to his friends, wanting above all to suddenly feel the room shake and to know that they'd somehow found him, as impossible as it was.

But the battle drew to an end and his shoulders fell a small fraction as they departed the area. He couldn't even tell if they'd found his D-3 at all or if they'd been ambushed somewhere else. Slowly his head fell forward; as much as he knew it wouldn't be _easy_ to find him, there was still that spark of sorrow when they didn't.

Ken's hand tilted his head back again and Daisuke didn't bother trying to hide the sorrow in his eyes. Ken smiled down at him.

"I think it's time for dinner. Do I need to remind you of how to ask properly?"

Daisuke's stomach churned. He dropped his gaze from Ken's. He knew he needed to believe in his friends, to stay strong in all of this, but it was so much harder than it seemed when Ken had _everything_ going for him. How easy it had been, too. How simple. Just take him away from everyone else, into a place where they couldn't find him, and where Ken had completely control over him, and he broke like a twig.

_No,_ he reminded himself. _Not yet._

Ken's grip tightened and Daisuke remembered he'd been asked a question. Ken did not like to be ignored.

"No, you don't, master." And as much as Daisuke hated it with all of his soul, Ken _was_ his master, the complete ruler of his life at the moment. Ken decided when or if he ate or drank, if he saw the sky or not, every little thing that he'd once decided for himself to some degree, now Ken held domination over.

Another thought whispered in the depths of his mind, a terrifying thought that he didn't want to acknowledge, but for one moment it whispered strong where he could not avoid it: _what if Ken never let him be where he could escape at all? What if the lie became a truth?_

Daisuke took the thought and shoved it where he couldn't look at it, couldn't consider it at all. He knew if he did, if he gave it even a single moment of consideration, then all the hope in the world, all the determination to be brave and fight his way through this, wouldn't do him any good at all.

He followed Ken to the dining hall and discovered a whole new world of humiliation as Ken had him sit on the floor next to him and once more fed him by hand. Once he'd begged enough.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Pet

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
**Title:** Gift of Flight: Chapter 6: Pet  
**Romance:** Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken  
**Word Count:** chapter: 1,552||story: 9,315  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** This was written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, day #8; Diversity Writing Challenge, section H, #10, a multichap with at least six chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #6, service  
**Notes:** This takes place in an AU where people on occasion are born with wings. Clearly, Daisuke is one of those people.  
**Summary:** [6/6 chapters; Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken; 2014 Advent Calendar, Diversity Writing, &amp; One Ship Boot Camp] Daisuke has wings. This makes him the perfect pet for the Digimon Kaiser. At least the Digimon Kaiser thinks so.

* * *

Daisuke stared up at the room, not certain if he believe his eyes. He remembered Ken mentioning it on the first day, but he hadn't really thought he'd be brought here.

_He said it would be a reward if I didn't disturb him._ It hadn't happened that same day, but here they stood nevertheless. Ken's collar still remained around Daisuke's neck, with a length of leash held in the Kaiser's hand. That hadn't changed. Daisuke didn't expect it to. He wasn't certain if he wanted it to.

If the collar and leash came off, it would be because Ken trusted him not to leave. Because Ken knew he would return if he did depart for authorized flying.

Because Ken would've tamed him completely.

Ken reached out and unhooked the leash. "You have one hour." Ken told him, gesturing to the high-ceilinged room. "Enjoy yourself."

Daisuke didn't hesitate for a moment. He hadn't spread his wings properly in nearly two weeks and they ached for proper exercise. He lifted up into the air, spinning around for the sheer joy of it, his wings lifting him as high as he could go. While he could see the sky overhead, he could also see the glass ceiling that prevented him from actually being in the open air.

Two weeks since he'd been captured. Two weeks since he'd flown or been allowed to eat without begging Ken for it. He could beg Ken for anything now and not feel any shame. What did that matter, when shame or not, Ken would simply not give him what he wanted or needed until Daisuke pleased him enough?

Sometimes he watched the other Chosen as they searched throughout the Digital World. He knew they looked for him. They hadn't stopped. At least that was what he kept on telling himself. He couldn't hear what they said. He had only what they were doing to go by.

But day by day as they searched and never found so much as a clue, it did not help his spirits. Ken reminded him regularly that they could search forever and if they did find him, Daisuke knew better than to try to leave.

Daisuke didn't want to think that was true. But every time he knelt before Ken and begged him for food or a drink or for even a few moments in the air, he could feel himself losing ground. He didn't want to be Ken's pet. But what he wanted didn't seem to matter anymore.

He shoved all of that away. He had his time in the air, for the first time in so long. He wasn't going to waste it thinking about Ken. He had to do enough of that on a regular basis anyway.

Daisuke darted and dived this way and that, trying to figure out where the air currents came from, but more to distract himself than anything else. He didn't really care. He rose up until his fingers brushed against the glass, noticing as he did that it was warm, kissed by the sun.

He wasn't all that good at hovering but he flapped his wings a little more, staying there as long as he could, palms pressed against the warmth. He closed his eyes, imagining himself in his own room at home, enjoying the sunshine, with Chibimon tucked up under one of his wings.

Daisuke's throat choked up as he remembered racing against Nefertimon and Pegasumon. There hadn't ever been a winner in those races, but no one had ever cared. Iori and Yamato took part sometimes.

_Jun wanted me to bring her one of Yamato-san's feathers._ He'd refused; it wasn't molting season, and he wasn't going to yank one of them off of Yamato. If one had _fallen_ off, he might've thought about asking, but that hadn't happened.

Jun. Mom. Dad. Tears pricked at Daisuke's eyes and he tried not to let them loose. Ken would use it against him somehow, and he wouldn't let that happen. He needed to stay strong until he could find a way to leave.

The whole time he'd flown, the fortress continued to move, and Daisuke finally opened his eyes to see a slightly different view than before. When he'd first risen up this high, they'd been in a plains-type area, one without too many trees. Now he saw mountains all around, and... and...

They weren't looking in his direction. His heart twisted when he realized that. They weren't looking and he could _call_ them, he could try until his throat burst, just to get their attention.

But there they were. Iori. Miyako. Hikari. Takeru. V-mon, too. They were speaking to... someone. He couldn't see who, but even they weren't looking in the direction of the fortress.

He traced one hand down the glass, which didn't seem as warm as it had moments earlier. _Guys,_ he thought, not daring to say a word out loud, no matter how much he wanted to. _Guys. I'm here. Turn around. See me._

They didn't. He wanted to scream it out loud and cast one quick glance down below to see what Ken was doing.

The Kaiser remained where he'd left him, though his attention seemed diverted to the side. Daisuke couldn't tell what he was looking at, only that he seemed fascinated by it. The Flier turned his attention back to the window, which slowly slipped on by. In moments they'd passed the others, and he knew if they looked, they wouldn't see anything now.

He had no idea of how long he'd been up there, but he couldn't bear it anymore. He slowly dropped back downward. Instead of landing on his feet, however, he slipped to his knees in front of Ken. His heart ached. His soul trembled.

They wouldn't see him. They wouldn't find him. Even when they were so close that just turning around would've done it, they didn't. He didn't know why. But they hadn't.

Ken's fingers slipped underneath his chin and tilted his head up. He knew the tears still gleamed in his eyes, but he was too tired to blink them away. He didn't need to worry. Ken wiped them away with his other hand, a small, approving smile on his lips.

"You've been very good," the Kaiser told him, threading his fingers through Daisuke's hair. "I'm going to have to find some way to reward you."

Daisuke said nothing. The only reward he wanted was the one he'd never be given. Ken didn't seem to notice, or to care if he did. But he did gesture to what he'd been looking at before, and Daisuke's heart shattered more when he saw it.

Ken had seen them. He'd watched them the whole time, knowing that Daisuke could see them as well. Had he sent the fortress there just to put Daisuke through that?

He wanted to ask. He wanted to scream it. But a single glance from Ken stole the words from his lips. He didn't need to know, no matter how much he wanted to.

Ken clipped the leash back onto his collar and started away. Daisuke folded his wings closer and followed, stepping along briskly to make certain the Kaiser didn't yank him along. He didn't look up, not even as they left the room with the wide vaulted ceiling.

"Master," he asked as they drew closer to the command room. The word tasted as foul as ever, but he knew what he had to do to get an answer. "Can I... will I be allowed to go back there?"

"Perhaps. You'll have to stay as good as you are. But I don't think that will be a problem." Ken reached back and took Daisuke's hand in his. "You're learning very well and I'm very, very proud of you."

In a part of himself Daisuke did not want to admit existed, a small spark of pride flared into life. He heard himself speak, and the words made his stomach churn as much as calling Ken 'master' did.

"Thank you, master."

He did not miss Ken's so very satisfied smile. _I have to do what he says. Maybe I can get away then._ He didn't remember how many times he'd told himself that. There were moments when it seemed to have lost all meaning. Ken kept him collared and leashed and nowhere near any exits he could get through. And if he tried to leave anyway, Ken wouldn't be happy at all with him.

Throughout all of his time here, Ken hadn't done much to physically hurt him. He'd kept food and water from him when Daisuke hadn't begged him enough but that was Daisuke's own fault. He knew better than that now, even when it hurt to say it.

It would only last until Daisuke could get out. Somehow. He didn't know when that would be, but it would happen. He had to keep believing.

Ken settled down into his chair and Daisuke knelt beside him, keeping his eyes down. He was allowed to watch the monitors if he wanted to, but right now, he didn't think he could handle it. Instead, he curled up under the folds of his wings and let his mind drift away.

The Digimon Kaiser rested his hand on his pet's head and smiled.

**The End**

**Note:** There will be other stories set in this universe, both before and after this one.


End file.
